Shelf tag-holder.



W. E. OL SON.

SHELF TAG HOLDER.

APPLIOATION FILED OUT. 16, 1912.

Patented July 1, 1913.

COLUMBIA LANOORAPH CCL,

WILLIAM E. OLSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SHELF TAG-HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 1, 1913.

Application filed October 16, 1912. Serial No. 726,007. r

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. OLSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Shelf Tag-Holders, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved device to serve as a holder for tags or labels and adapted to be applied to the exposed edge of a shelf for supporting and displaying a tag or label indicating the nature of the contents of said shelf.

It consists of the parts and features of construction described in the drawings as indicated by the claims.

In the drawings :F igure 1 is a perspective view showing a tag holder embodying this invention applied to a shelf edge. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the device as applied to the depending edge of a cornice. Fig. 4 is a section taken as'indicated at line 44 on Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a section taken at plane of Fig. 4, and showing the device in position to permit the insertion of a tag or label.

As shown in the drawings, this device is made of a single piece of wire with its middle portion, 1, arranged to extend substantially parallel to the edge of the shelf, A. At either end of the middle port-ion, 1, the wire is bent at right angles thereto, to extend transversely of the shelf edge, A to the top surface of the shelf, A; these transversely extending portions are indicated at, 2. From the parts, 2, the wire is bent at right angles to lie flat on the top surface, A of the shelf and is doubled back upon itself so as to return again to the front edge of the shelf, thus forming a pair of U- shaped arms, 3, lying flat on the shelf. From the U-shaped arms, 3, the ends of the wire are extended downwardly at, 4, 4, substantially in the plane of the portions, 1 and 2, preferably in a diagonal direction, and thence after about one and one half turns around the horizontal wire, 1, at, 5, 5, are projected obliquely backward and up ward at, 6, 6, for engagement with the under side, A of the shelf, A. It will be understood that in manufacture the coils, 5, 5, are so made as to act spring fashion to force the extreme ends of the portions, 6, 6,

strongly against the under side of the shelf,

a label card or tag as indicated in Fig. 2,-

that is, with the lower edge of the card resting upon the coils, 5, 5, and with the portions, 2, 2, and 4, 4, of the holder extending across the face of the card and thus holding it against the front edge, A of the shelf. Preferably the middle portion, 1 of the horizontal member, 1, of the holder is depressed below the end portions, 1 by an amount substantially equal to the thickness of the wire stock of which it is made, so that the edge of the card when supported on the coils, 5, 5, will be approximately in line with the end portions, l of the frame.

Where a set of shelves is constructed with a cornice overhanging the uppermost shelf, or where any of the shelves are provided with a depending molding at the front edge, the tag holder may be used in the position shown in Fig. 3, in which the card or label is secured behind the U-shaped arms, 3, 3, which hold it firmly against the surface of the depending molding or cornice, B. In either mode of use the label may be removed by pressing upward upon the portion, 1, of the holder and thus swinging the holder bodily about the tangs, 3, against the yield ing resistance of the spring-pressed arms,

6, 6, as indicated in Fig. 5. This movesthe parts, 3, 3, and the parts, 2, 2, and 4, 4, free of the surfaces against which they normally bear and permits the ready removal of the tag or the insertion of a new one. When provided with the tangs, 3 and 6 the holder will not become accidentally loosened from the shelf but will remain in position indefinitely, while the arms, 3, 3, on the top surface of the shelf oifer comparatively slight obstruction to the removal of the contents therefrom.

I claim 1. A shelf tag holder composed of a single piece of wire having a middle portion adapted to extend in the direction of the shelf a i edge below the top surface of the shelf, with end portions extending upwardly from said middle portion to the top of the shelf and being there bent at right angles to the plane of the tag frame thus formed for engaging the top surface of the shelf, and aspring' arm extending back from the lower part of to return to the edge of the shelf and beingthere bent substantially into the plane of the tag frame from the lower part of which they extend back forengaging the under side of the shelf.

3. A shelf tag holder composed ofa single piece of wire having a middle portion adapted to extend inthe direction of the shelf edge below the top surface oftheshelf with end portions extending upwardly from said middle portion to the top of the shelf and being there bent at right'angles to the plane of the tag frame thus formed for engaging the top surface of the shelf, the wire being. formed in acoil at the lower art of the tag frame about an axis paralle -to the shelf edge below the top surface of the shelf, with said coil backward for engaging the under side of the shelf.

4. A shelf tag holder composed of a singlepiece of wire having a middle portion adapt ed to extend in the direction of the shelf edge below the top surface of the shelf, with end portions extending upwardly from said middle portion tothe top of the shelf andbeingthere bent at right angles to the plane of the tag frame thus formed for engaging the top surface of the shelf, said end portionsbeing doubled back upon themselves to return to the edge of the shelf and bein there bent substantially into the plane of t ietag frame, and one of said end portions being coiled about the middle portion of said frame and projecting back from said coil for engaging the under side of the shelf.

5. A shelf tag holder composed of a single piece of wire having a middle portion adapted to extend in the direction ofthe shelf edge below the top surface of the shelf, with endportions extending upwardly from said middle portion to the top of the shelf and being there bent at rightangles to the plane of'the: tag frame thus formed for'engaging the top: surface of the shelf, said-end portions being doubled back upon themselves to return to the edge ofthe shelf and being there-bent substantially into the plane of the tag frame, and both of said end portions being. coiled about the middle portion of said frame andfprojecting backfrom-said coil forengaging the under side of the shelf.

6. A shelf tag holder composed of a single piece of wire-having a middle portion adapt ed to extend horizontally below the top surface.- of the shelf, with end portions extending upwardly from said horizontal portion;

to the top'of the shelf :and being there. bent at-rightangles to the plane oflthe tag frame thus formed for engaging the top surface of the shelf, said end portionsbeing doubled backupon themselves to return to the edge of the shelf and beingthere bent substantially into the-planeof the tag frame and extending diagonally downward to the horizontal portionof said frame, the middle part of said horizontal portion being slightly offset from the line of'the remainder ofsaid portion, forming shoulders against whichtheends of-the wire arecoiled about said horizontal portion projecting'backward from said' coils'=to;engagethe-underside of the shelf.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set' WVitnesses:

ROBT; N. BURTON, EDNA M. MACINTOSH.

Copies of this patent maybe obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Oommissioner'ofPatents,

Washington, -D. G. 

